The Hero Lesson

Last night, one of my favorite 80’s movies, “The Untouchables”, was on TV. I’m a sucker for a good historical movie, but a crime drama including Sean Connery ? It doesn’t get better than that. The chemistry between the characters played by Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Andy Garcia, and even the villain played, brilliantly by Robert DeNiro, makes for an unforgettable film. The “good triumphs over evil” message never gets old. And the fact that the movie is based upon real events, in Chicago’s history, simply create a rich atmosphere that makes the viewer feel as if she’s truly there.

While good vs. evil is a prevalent theme in both literature and movies, and is the most basic of all story telling vehicles, the truly fascinating element in “The Untouchables” isn’t Elliot Ness’ triumph over Al Capone. Rather, it’s the mentor relationship between Sean Connery’s Officer Jim Malone and the younger, uncertain Elliot Ness. The dynamics of the mentor-student relationship is exceptional. Obviously, this is not the first, or only, literary medium to use this thematic process. But, set in Chicago’s gangland heydays, it simply adds a new dimension to the way in which the story is told.

So, what is it about the mentor-student tale that is so compelling ? I believe part of it is the mentor’s willingness to allow the student to uncover truths for himself. For many of us, teachers told us what to learn, what to write and what to say. Teachers have told us the right answer, and the better ones will show you how to find it. But the mentor in the mentor-student formulaic tale, doesn’t do this. He sets the student on the path, he guides, he shows the possible directions, he tests, he argues, but he doesn’t, under any circumstance, give the student the final answer. That is for the student to uncover for himself. How much more meaningful is it to reveal truths to yourself ? It is night and day from the typical ‘sit in lecture and take notes’ philosophy that most of us have experienced. This process allows the student to grow, to develop her own style and reveal her own methodology. It also brings forth self-esteem, as the student grows in confidence of her own abilities.

In Yoga, I try to include Hero Pose in most of my classes. This simple asana requires you to sit on your heels, with feet flat on the floor, with the spine reaching upward and your heart center open. Every instructor has her own style for bringing her students into a place of reverence before Hero Pose. This is not to include a religious aspect, in my own class, but rather a sense of mindfulness and appreciation. I ask my students to think about someone who has made a difference in their own lives. This may include a teacher, a friend, a parent, an older relative, or even a fictional character. It may have even been a person whom the student didn’t like very much. If that individual had lessons to impart, he was a teacher. The focus here is on cultivating gratitude and understanding the meaning of what we needed to learn. But, with the gift of this acquired knowledge also comes responsibility. If we have been taught a lesson that has been both meaningful and valuable to us, it is our duty to pass that lesson onward. So, in the second part of this asana in class, I remind my students that we are all called to be heroes to others. Some of us are called to be heroes in big ways. Others are called to be heroes on small and humble paths. But, each one of us has something extraordinary we have learned, and has something remarkable to teach.

Here endeth the lesson.